Maternity garment



May 17, 1949. P. AUSLENDER MATERNITY GARMENT Filed June 8, 1944 Patented May 17, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERNITY GARMENT Pearl Auslender, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 8, 1944, Serial No. 539,281

(Cl. 2-105l 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in maternity garments which will minimize or conceal the appearance of pregnancy without distortion or detracting from the style and lines of the garment.

One of the principal features of my invention is the provision of a tunic, top dress blouse, or other garment, With front and back flaps which are joined by a substantially concealed expansible band or bands to permit expanson of the garment, without bulging, thus keeping it trim and neat at all times. In fact, my dress in appearance does not look like a maternity dress.

An advantage of my invention is that the dress does not lose shape because of the arrangement of the substantially concealed expansible folding element on the flaps, In addition, the garment has the advantage, among others, that after pregnancy it can be used as a regular dress by cutting out the expansible element.

In use, the expansible element is placed over the abdomen and may be expanded at will by the laces. Since the bands are attached to the front and back fiaps of the blouse, the blouse may be expanded at the sides, thus keeping the front of the same smooth and even in appearance. The tie members are then tied at the back of the person wearing the garment, thus closing the side openings of the garment and concealng the bands on the interier of the garment.

Further objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front View of the maternity garment or blouse.

Fig. 2 is a back View of same.

Fig. 3 is a front View of the garment with the lower front fiap of the blouse folded back to reveal the pair of bands attached to the sides of the garment at the front and back flaps,

Fig. 4 is a back View of a skirt with laces, which completes the ensemble, and

Fig. 5 is a side View of the maternity garment, showing the open sides or front and back flaps to which the bands are attached.

Referring more specifically to the drawing which illustrates the preferred form of my invention, 8 is a maternity blouse with lower front and rear flaps 9 and ID, respectively. Tie members l l are attached to each side of the front flap for closing the blouse at the sides and tying in the back, as shown in Fig. 2.

Bands |2 on each side of the blouse are attached by sewing or other well-known means familiar to those skilled in the art, to the front and back flaps, 9 and o of the blouse, at the sides thereof, as at !3. The bands are folded in the middle, as at !4, and eyelets [5 for receiving laces I 6, are formed in each of the bands at the center thereof.

Used with my blouse is a skirt l'l, with an expansible opening !8 at the top back thereof, provided with laces for adjustment of the skirt.

I have found that in the first five months of pregnancy, the figure change is concealed completely by this garment. From the ffth to the seventh month, I have found that the garment greatly minimizes the figure change; and from the seventh to the ninth month, the `garment covers the figure expansion Without distortion.

The top dress blouse has no defined waistline. In pregnancy, the figure loses the waistline, and a defined waistline in a maternity dress distorts the figure. The tunic or top dress blouse need not extend beyond the hips, as the figure in pregnancy develops no further down that the hip-line. The dress does not curve inwardly where there is no development, and therefore, does not cause ugly distortion of the figure.

By the arrangement of my invention, undue emphasis by too many pleats, folds, gathers, and the like, is avoided in not adding bulk to an already bulky figure.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of Construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of Construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A maternity garment comprising a blouse having a longitudinal slit at each side thereby providing front and rear flaps, a pair of horizontally disposed bands, said bands being attached to both said front and rear flaps adjacent said slits and substantially concealed by said flaps, means adjustably securing said bands together at the front of the blouse and beneath said front flap, and tie members Secured to. each side of the front flap for closing said blouse at the sides and tying in the back.

PEARL AUSLENDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 

